This coming Thursday President Obama will give a much-anticipated speech in Cairo ostensibly addressed to the Muslim world. Publications throughout America and the West have spilt a great deal of ink in analyzing and assessing the implications of this speech, all of which have come more or less to the same conclusion: the speech will challenge President Obama in being able to address the key issues that drive the Muslim world. Yet, one thing that they have all ignored is who exactly is anticipating this speech? The answer, in the Middle East anyway, is no one, with the notable exception of government controlled media.
In various conversations and meetings throughout the Middle East, whether in Cairo, Amman, Riyadh, Manama, Dubai or Doha, no one here is putting any weight behind what is being billed in the American media as nothing short of a watershed event. This is not to say that the region as a whole is cynical. On the contrary, with its history of colonial occupation, and dictatorial rule stretching from Morocco to Iraq everyone here clings to hope or rather the promise of hope. The Muslim world was overwhelmingly supportive of Obama's candidacy and is still enthusiastically supportive. In some respects, President Obama does represent change, even if that change has been a more moderated tone towards the Muslim world. Ameliorative rhetoric is necessary from the United States, but more needed are the actions and policies that foster and cement real change.
To Khalid, my Cairene taxi driver who as a medical doctor can't find work as a physician, what value will Obama's words have? Or to the men and women of Iraq and Afghanistan who have had their nations dismantled? The short answer is not much, if at all. The simple fact is that the socio-economic and political woes of the Middle East and the Muslim world are very real.
Within Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and of the wealthiest nations in the Middle East, unemployment is believed to be around 25% including women, according to HSBC. In Cairo alone in 2008 there were riots in the streets when the price of bread skyrocketed due to inflation and everyday Cairenes could no longer afford to eat. What of the poorest nations like Yemen?
The Brookings Institute estimates that throughout the Middle East and North Africa the aggregate population is roughly 300 million, with 50-65% of the population being under 24 years of age. There is no infrastructural support providing this generation with education or jobs with which to support themselves. The question for the Obama administration is not what happens in the next four years of his term, but rather what happens in the next decade such that this is not a lost generation which resents American support of their governments when they cannot feed themselves.
While the hydrocarbon rich nations of the Muslim world, like Qatar and the UAE, have now begun deploying their wealth at home to address some of these issues they still have a long way to go. Saudi Arabia, for example, has embarked upon a vast multi-billion education agenda, building with it what is billed to be the region's best technical university with talent poached from the likes of UC Berkeley, MIT and Caltech, King Abdulla University of Science and Technology (KAUST). But where will graduates of KAUST find employment?
The problem is that we often only either see the mega-structures of Dubai and items purchased with oil-wealth, or the images of war and its effects in the Muslim world. This ignores the larger and ever growing problems that individuals in the region face on a daily basis, that of surviving -- which is not to ignore the very real problems of war and occupation. The simple fact is that the Muslim world wants what everyone else wants: to provide for their children, to educate, feed and clothe them, and offer them a chance at a better life. Unfortunately, for the overwhelming majority of the region this is simply not possible under current conditions. And this must soon change or America in a generation will be forced to confront a much more serious problem than IEDs in Iraq or effigy burnings.
President Obama is perhaps the orator of his generation, yet what the Muslim world needs now are not the hollow promises of "hope" and "change" but meaningful, actionable change that positively transforms their lives. Until then, Obama's words, however articulate and precisely delivered, will continue to be ignored through the din.
People don't tend to feel charitable toward persons who are suspected of wishing them dead. And I know that the terrorists are a fringe group; but unless their activities -- bombings, maiming innocent girls, etc, are resoundingly denounced by a vocal majority of Muslims, then the Muslim world will continue to be viewed as sympathizing with them and there will not be support for any substantive financial assistance.
And even if the PR issues are resolved, the U.S. is having its own financial problems right now and some of our citizens don't even want to help one another, I doubt that there will ever be much support for assisting people in foreign lands. There is only so much that we can do and only so much that our President can do. God helps those who help themselves, NOT those who focus on "spreading the pain."
That is not the answer to pulling oneself out of poverty.
I think you are correct in saying that the people of the Middle East need "actionable change that positively transforms their lives". But what is the change you believe is necessary? Yes, there are big economic challenges facing the people of North Africa and the Middle East. What is your proposed solution which Obama must undertake?
Shieks rolling in dough and oil, and YOU try to lay guilt about their 'subjects' suffering?
Hellllooooooooo?
I have NO sympathy for these dolts lolling around behind the skirts of Islam as it's 'keeper'.
The watchmen slept.
The prize was stolen.
They broke it, they own it.
It's ALL YOURS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvTuv0Zemnk
To dimminish the reaching out of President Obama is to neuter the process before it can even begin. Words ARE important.
Palestine is a mere politikal distraction from the truth and reality
of living in a world of one man, one vote, one time.
It's clear to me President Obama can't stop the Israelis
from building on the West Bank. (the religous nuts are still nuts
on both sides of the aailse)
Peace in the Middle East stems from politikal and economic freedom.
The Chinese seem to have left the Middle East in the economic dust
in the last ten years and will probably have even more politikal freedom in the next ten years
then Egypt will have in the next 25.
I like the Egyptians.
They are a fascinating and historical peoples.
Who wouldn't want to visit Egypt?
My only prayer for Egypt is:
for true democracy
the democracy that average Egyptian really does deserve.
Good Luck
As you know, economic times are hard now. Now, I know it's not your fault but my family and I will be moving into your house. So, you and your family should move into the basement or the attic so we'll have some room. Also since economic times are pretty hard, I'll be inviting my cousins to join. And if I check my family tree closely enough, I'll be inviting in some fairly distant relatives. That may mean you'll have to double up, but I'm sure you'll willingly accept the chance to embrace the opportunity to live side by side with me and my ever growing family.
I think there could be quite a Renaissance in store and prosperity. As long as you play the role assigned to you.
Of course, if you object, I'm afraid I'll have to take some necessary physical actions to protect my family from your aggression. And perhaps there will have to be a few checkpoints from the basement to the outside but all in the interests of security.
America is not really the cause of their problem. Nor is Israel or the Pope. Just as America is finally starting to realize that Gays are not the cause of social breakdown (as our fundamentalists would have us believe), The "Arab Steet" needs to come to terms with reality.
I don't condone violence, but I would suggest that those who "love Islam" target Islam's REAL enemies: those who terrorize and impoverish their own people in the name of Allah...
In short we believe that a bit of Lewis Cheskin inspired public relations (change the image not the substance) will make the folks over there love us. Especially once they get to see just how nice we really are. The ME equivalent of the "flag lapel pin" strategy.
While there is no doubt a very strong element of truth in the assessment of intelligence, there is one problem.
The folks over there live under repressive regimes that we aid and abet.
The munitions we supply so freely are dropped on them.
In an environment like that one doesn't have to be even as smart as Joe the Plumber or Sister Sarah to figure out that the fancy words are really empty words.
For more substantive insight - as opposed to what the chatty cabbie surmised, check out the link below.
http://security.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/what-are-the-ramifications-of.php
Obama is not the President of the world. He cannot solve Yemen's, Saudia Arabia's and every one countries' economic woes. Time for other leaders to step up.
Obama is not the Messiah. This outreach to Muslims is nothing more than that. If people in this region want change, they are going to have to seek it within their own countries and own leadership.
www.whitehouse.gov
http://www.dailykos.com/tag/Obameter . . . the Obameter go through all the promises kept, compromised, etc. since the beginning of this 4.5 month term. Follow the links to the original site.
Speaking in a muslim country is one such promise kept and action taken.
Characterizing the truth as a "closed mind" is another Republican tactic.
This sounds like a threat. As regrettable as what the writer describes may be, I don't quite understand why it's America's fault if people in the Muslim world can't feed their children.